According to the National Statistics Institute (INE) data released this morning, deaths attributed to contaminated water sources and lack of hygiene have been increasing in Portugal, with 518 deaths recorded in 2023. Boosting the mortality rate to 4.9 deaths per 100 thousand inhabitants, the highest value since 2010, when it was at 1.1.
In 2022, 472 deaths were recorded (4.5%), in 2021, there were 398 (3.8%), and in 2020, there were 413 (4%).
According to the data, 57% of registered deaths concern people over 85 years old, followed by the 75-84 age group, with 28% of deaths.
According to INE data, six out of 10 deaths were women.
“In those over 85 years of age, the mortality rate reached 78.6/100 thousand, being the second highest in 75-84 (16.6%), followed by babies under one year old (4.9), according to INE.
The deaths, according to the list consulted by JN, are attributed to unhealthy water sources or poor or non-existent sanitation and hygiene conditions, including deaths from cholera, typhoid, shigellosis, or other bacterial intestinal infections and parasitic diseases.
The president of the National Association of Public Health Doctors, Bernardo Gomes, told the newspaper that it was “important to understand if this phenomenon has a territorial tradition, namely in terms of cultural patterns of uncontrolled water use.”
In turn, hydrobiologist Adriano Bordalo defended a joint work of the ministries of Health and Environment that can lead to the design of corrective actions. Stating:
“If the studies were not done, we could not improve the health of our population.”
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
